Last week we celebrated Constitution Week. Typically, I would spend a couple of days in area high schools teaching the Constitution with a focus on Article V. I was unable to do that this year as I had the honor of attending the Grassroots Article V Experience (GAVE) at the ‘newly upgraded’ Patriot Academy Campus. Convention of States Action and Patriot Academy formed a partnership a few years back. Rick Green and his family have educated hundreds of thousands of people about our founding principles, second amendment rights, historical documents and how biblical principles played into the founding of our nation. They also train future leaders in the legislative process. Classes are offered in person and digitally, and the courses listed below can be accessed by visiting www.patriotacademy.com. But now, I’d like to share a few takeaways from my experience there.
- Constitution Alive
- Biblical Citizenship
- Constitutional Defense
- Leadership Congress
The Venue
Patriot Academy has traditionally held its Legislative Congress in the Texas House of Representatives chamber. That was the original plan for this year and also where the GAVE event was planned. However, word came from the Texas House that the chamber would no longer be able to host Patriot Academy events. Classes for the spring event had already been scheduled, so this put Patriot Academy in a bind. After some negotiation and grassroots “encouragement,” the Texas House relented and allowed the spring Patriot Academy Legislative Congress to proceed there.
Nevertheless, the writing was on the wall. The ability for Patriot Academy to hold events in a third-party location was in jeopardy. Just like Convention of States Action, Patriot Academy has a mission that digital platforms and some in the political establishment do not support. If Patriot Academy programs were to continue uninterrupted in the future, they would need their own facilities - facilities that they could control. So, with a ‘can do’ spirit and a little ingenuity, Patriot Academy sprung into action and repurposed a portion of their campus.
Visiting the Patriot Academy is an unforgettable experience. Legislative Hall is the first building on the campus. It was once an empty shell facility - transformed in 163 days into a legislative chamber - complete with committee rooms and the necessary support facilities to host events like the Leadership Congress and GAVE. Appropriately, and possibly sarcastically, the dais is an exact replica of the Speaker’s dais in the Texas House of Representatives. It was awe-inspiring to be seated there as a commissioner representing Missouri in the chamber.
The Proceedings
This event was held in a compressed time frame similar to the two Article V simulations the Convention of States Foundation (COSF) held in 2016 and 2023. Whereas an actual convention of states meeting would take place over several weeks or months, we had only two days to complete our work. COSF had proven on two occasions that The Framers’ solution in Article V would work and is the solution to restore our constitutional structure. Those events were conducted primarily with current or former legislators. The GAVE event was for grassroots individuals, most of whom were new to the legislative process. The dynamics of this event were different.
Day one began with a poignant presentation by an actor portraying Colonel George Mason. This helped to properly frame our role and put us in the mindset of The Framers. Next, Rick Green discussed the process. He reviewed the rules of the convention, including parliamentary procedures for presenting proposals, asking questions of the presenter, how to be recognized to speak on the floor, and the proper verbiage to use in addressing the convention President and other members. Patriot Academy graduates demonstrated the process.
Following this orientation and words from COSA Founder Mark Meckler, we broke out into assigned committees to vet proposals. The committees mirrored the three subjects in our resolution: Federal Legislative and Executive Jurisdiction, Fiscal Restraints and Term Limits and Judicial Restraint. I was assigned to the Term Limits and Judicial Restraints Committee.
We began our work in committee rooms – discussing and debating bills proposing term limits, a process where the states could override Supreme Court decisions, the elimination of the Department of Education and proposed age limits on judges and members of Congress. Other committees discussed limitations on taxation and federal spending, forcing the federal government to abide by generally accepted accounting principles, to apply federal laws to Congressional members and their staffs and restore the original meaning and purposes of the General Welfare and Commerce Clauses.
These proposals were debated, amended and vetted rigorously. Not all survived this process. At times, the debate was quite spirited. We were told that our committee was particularly passionate and even a bit raucous at times. This is exactly how it was intended. Each committee assumes its own personality but each followed the convention rules and debate was confined to the three subject matter areas of our resolution.
Day two of our work was in the plenary session. This is where all the members of the body meet in the main chamber to take up proposals that were passed out of the committees. We were reminded of the process of being recognized by the Chair, which podium was for presenting or inquiring, the proper way to make a motion and so on. Initially, we needed guidance but, after going through the process the first time, we got the hang of it.
Proposals were debated, amended, debated more and amended further. The proposal’s presenter was questioned about their proposal, why it was worded in a certain way and challenged. After the deliberations, several proposals were passed. One was actually defeated.
My Takeaways
My first thought was of how far we’ve come as an organization. This October will mark my tenth year of volunteering for Convention of States Action. To think in one decade we have come to the point where we could hold an event like this for our volunteers is amazing. When I first began working with legislators, we made notes in three-ring binders and Excel spreadsheets. To have the technological tools we have today to share information and collaborate throughout our organization is amazing. COSA squeezes as much out of every donor’s dollar as any organization in existence.
Next is the reaffirmation of our mission to build a team of self-governing citizen activists who are committed to restoring the Constitution and preservation of our magnificent republic. When the roll was called for the presence of each state’s delegation, it was very emotional. “Alabama, here,” “Alaska, here.” “Arizona, present.” “Missouri, here!” We were finally here. It was time to go to work.
The camaraderie and commitment to purpose was palpable and infectious. I had conversations with COSA National Leadership thanking them for this opportunity. We discussed our “war wounds” and how far we had come as individuals and as an organization. The love COSA leadership has for the grassroots is unmistakable. This carries through to the rest of our grassroots team. We have varied life experiences, personalities, opinions and talents. We are united in a singular purpose in service to our country. As a virtual organization, I met people I had seen on webinars several times. I joked, “It is nice to put a torso and legs with a face and a name.”
Finally, the process. Drafting legislation is hard. It was remarked several times that if this event and the prior COSF simulations had proven anything, it was that it is far more likely that no proposals would result from a convention of states meeting than any rogue proposals would pass. The “runaway convention” fear is politically impossible. The first of many Article V convention of states meetings will be the greatest exercise in civic education since 1787.
Video from the GAVE event will be available soon. I encourage you to watch footage from the COSF’s 2016 and 2023 simulations HERE. If you are a petition signer or supporter but not yet a volunteer, go to our Take Action Page. If this blog was shared with you, check out our Home Page for more information. The Article V convention of states process is the peaceful and constitutional solution that is as big as the problems.
In liberty,
Brett
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